New date set for European science satellite

LAUNCH PAD

GOCE is part of ESA's "Earth Explorer" programme to further understanding about fundamental knowledge of the planet.

by Staff Writers
Paris (AFP) Feb 6, 2009
The European Space Agency (ESA) on Friday set March 16 as the new date for the much-delayed launch of a satellite to monitor Earth's gravitational field.

The Gravity field and state-steady Ocean Circulation Explorer, or GOCE, has suffered several delays from its original launch date of September 10 from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, 800 kilometres (500 miles) north of Moscow.

Managers said the problem lay in the guidance and navigation subsystem in the upper stage of the Rocket launcher, derived from a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile.

GOCE is part of ESA's "Earth Explorer" programme to further understanding about fundamental knowledge of the planet.

"The GOCE mission will realise a broad range of fascinating new possibilities for the fields of oceanography, solid Earth physics, geodesy and sea-level research -- significantly contributing to our understanding of climate change," ESA said in a press release.

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LAUNCH PAD

NOAA-N Prime Launch Rescheduled For Friday

Vandenberg AFB CA (SPX) Feb 06, 2009
The launch of the NOAA-N Prime weather satellite for NASA and NOAA aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket has been postponed for an additional 24 hours.

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